Neverland director to helm Bond 22

Marc Forster issued licence to thrill

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Finding Neverland director Marc Forster will take the helm of Bond 22, the BBC reports.

Forster, 37, will replace Martin Campbell, who successfully guided Daniel Craig in his first outing as 007 in Casino Royale, having done the same for Pierce Brosnan in 1995's GoldenEye.

The German-born Bond newbie has just completed work on literary adaption The Kite Runner, due for release later this year. His earlier credits include 2001 flick Monster's Ball for which Halle Berry walked off with a best actress Oscar. He enthused: "I have also always been a Bond fan, so it is very exciting to take on this challenge. I have always been drawn to different kinds of stories.

"The new direction that the Bond character has taken offers a director a host of new possibilities and I look forward to working with Daniel Craig."

Bond producers Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli offered the traditional: "We are delighted that Marc Forster, with his exceptional talent and unique vision, has agreed to direct our next James Bond film."

Bond 22 will start shooting in December and is slated for a 2008 release. It's based on a script developed by Forster and Crash director Paul Haggis, who also contributed to the Casino Royale screenplay. ®